Charging and discharging device for material in the form of a roll and a combination of a printing device and a charging an discharging device

ABSTRACT

A loading and unloading device ( 10 ) for reeled material ( 34 ) is designed in the form of a carriage, which can be moved by a single operator, and has a bearing ( 16 ) for each of the two lateral ends of a reel ( 34 ), it being possible to raise and lower the bearings, which can be locked at least in the raised position.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND

[0001] The invention relates to a loading and unloading device for reeled material and a combination of a printer with a loading and unloading device of this type.

[0002] In the field of printing technology, applications often occur in which a medium to be printed is in the form of a reeled material. In other words, the medium to be printed is wound onto a reel, from which the medium us unreeled by the printer. At the output end of the printer, the now printed medium is again wound onto a reel. The reels which have to be brought to the printer can have diameters of up to 30 cm and are therefore very heavy.

THE PRIOR ART

[0003] One standard way of loading and unloading printers, and in particular ink jet printers, has been to use a crane, by means of which the reel is placed in and later removed from an appropriate mounting of the printer. Alternatively, loading systems are known which require the intervention of two people who place the reel in the bearing of the printer or at least monitor the process at each end of the reel. Systems of this type have a relatively complex structure, particularly in situations where loading and unloading involves the use of a crane, because they require a special arrangement of the printer relative to the crane. Using two operating personnel to handle the loading and unloading operation, on the other hand, is expensive due to the amount of effort involved.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The underlying objective of the invention is to propose a loading and unloading device for reeled material, by means of which reels of material can be loaded and unloaded on a printer in a simpler and more cost-effective manner.

[0005] This objective is achieved by the invention by means of the loading and unloading device described in claim 1.

[0006] Accordingly, the device is designed so that it can be transported by a single operator. To this end, the loading and unloading device is designed as a carriage.

[0007] This being the case, the loading and unloading device preferably has castors and a handle or similar device, by means of which the loading and unloading device can be moved by one operator, even when a relatively heavy reel of material is placed in the loading and unloading device. In order to mount this reel at the input or discharge end of a printer, a bearing is provided for each of the two side ends of the reel. The bearings can be raised and lowered and can be locked at least in the raised position.

[0008] The mechanism which enables the reel to be raised and lowered is designed so that it can be operated by a single operator. This is made possible due to the fact that it is provided with one or more levers. The reel bearing of the loading and unloading device is advantageously designed so that it adapts to the position of the reel bearing of a printer. In other words, the lowered position of the lateral reel bearings is such that the reel is transferred to the bearing of the printer in this position. When a full reel has to be unloaded, the loading and unloading device is moved underneath the reel mounted in the printer and the loading and unloading device transfers the reel by raising the bearings.

[0009] Finally, the bearings of the loading and unloading device proposed by the invention can be locked, at least in the raised position. This ensures that a reel that has been removed from the printer and has to be transported to another place will remain secure in the raised position. This likewise ensures that it will remain in the raised position, which may be described as the transport position, up to the point from which a reel will be introduced into the bearing of the printer.

[0010] The loading and unloading device can be positioned relative to the reel to be taken down from a printer or relative to the reel bearing of the printer device to which a reel has to be transferred by means of stops disposed in an appropriate layout on the printer. As a result of the invention, heavy reels of material, which in the past have required the use of a crane or the intervention of two operating personnel, can easily be transferred to a printer or removed from it. A reel can be placed in the loading and unloading device proposed by the invention by a crane in another area some distance away, from which the reel can be transported by the displaceable loading and unloading device proposed by the invention to the printer, requiring a single operator, and loaded into the bearing.

[0011] Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in the other claims.

[0012] To simplify the construction of the loading and unloading device proposed by the invention, advantages are to be had if the two side bearings can be raised and lowered separately from one another. Basically, it is possible for the two bearings to be joined to one another, so that they can be raised and lowered by a single operating procedure. However, this would require a relatively strong connection between the two bearings and in particular it would have to extend across the entire roll width, which may be in the order of a few metres long. For the purposes of the invention, on the other hand, it is preferable to design the two bearings so that they can be raised and lowered separately from one another, which will enable a single operator to move the bearing at the one end first, after which the bearing at the other end can be moved.

[0013] During tests, it has been found to be of particular advantage to operate the bearings by means of a lever. This being the case, if the operating lever has a relatively large lever arm, a single operator will be able to transfer even heavy reels effortlessly by lowering the bearings, and take a printed reel out of the printer by raising the bearing.

[0014] As far as the bearings are concerned, it would be conceivable to opt for a structure in which the bearings remain in the lowered position by virtue of their own weight. However, advantages may be had if the bearings can also be locked in the lowered position. This guarantees that the bearings will remain in a defined position, even if no reel is being held in them. If using levers to operate the bearings, the bearings can be locked in the lowered position by using a system in which the levers are checked or locked in their corresponding raised position.

[0015] Both as regards locking the bearings in their lowered position, mentioned above, and as regards the system of locking the bearings in their raised position as proposed by the invention, it is of advantage to provide at least one locking element pre-biassed into the closed position for this purpose, which has an oblique surface pointing away from the locked position. As a result of this embodiment, when an operating element provided as a means of displacing the bearings, for example a lever, is moved from an unlocked to the locked position, it firstly hits the oblique surface provided on the locking element and briefly applies a slight force to the locking element, pushing it against the biassing force acting on the locking element in its open position. Once the operating element has moved past the locking element, the locking element snaps back into its closed position, which prevents the locking element from unlocking. By preference, no oblique surface is provided on the side of the locking element facing the locking position so that the locking element can not be unlocked except by actively operating it.

[0016] Another aspect of the invention relates to a combination of a printer with any embodiment of the loading and unloading device described above. As explained in the description above, the loading and unloading device proposed by the invention can be adapted in terms of the position of the bearings, particularly in their lowered position, to the bearing of a printer so that when a reel is being loaded onto the printer, the reel can be transferred from the loading and unloading device to the bearing of the printer in a defined manner. The loading and unloading device can be correctly positioned in readiness for this procedure by means of appropriate stops, for example, against which the loading and unloading device can be placed. The reel can be correctly positioned in the lateral direction, for example, by means of an abutment of the carriage with the side of the printer on which the bearing of the printer is disposed so that the reel is disposed in a defined position in terms of width.

[0017] In order to ensure that a printer can be operated safely in conjunction with the loading and unloading device proposed by the invention, it is of advantage if the printer has a safety element in the region of the reel bearing, which, in a first position, prevents the reel from falling out. It is of particular advantage to provide this at the end of the printer at which a printed reel is wound since the reel at this send is driven and the reeling process can give rise to forces and torques which act on the reel in such a way that it could shift out of its bearing in a worst-case scenario. The safety element provided on the printer is essentially designed so that the reel located in the bearing pushes against the safety element when it is lifted and accordingly is prevented from falling out. During loading and unloading, however, it is necessary to remove the reel. To ensure that the safety element does not pose an obstacle in this situation, it is designed and mounted on the printer in such a way that the loading and unloading device proposed by the invention moves the safety element during the loading and unloading process so that a reel can be inserted in or taken out of the bearing of the printer.

[0018] This being the case, the safety element is preferably designed to pivot and, when the carriage is drawn alongside, it is pivoted to permit unhindered access for removing or introducing the reel. As soon as the loading and unloading device proposed by the invention is moved away from the printer, the safety element pivots back again and secures the reel to prevent it from falling out.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] The invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the appended drawings. Of these:

[0020]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the loading and unloading device proposed by the invention;

[0021]FIG. 2 is a front view of the loading and unloading device proposed by the invention;

[0022]FIG. 3 shows the loading and unloading device proposed by the invention with a reel mounted in it and the reel bearing of a printer; and

[0023]FIG. 4 is a side view of the loading and unloading device proposed by the invention together with a part of a printer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

[0024] As illustrated in FIG. 1, the loading and unloading device 10 proposed by the invention essentially consists of a carriage with a rectangular base frame 14 which is displaced on castors 12. Mounted on the base frame are the respective bearings 16 in which a reel can be inserted by the two side ends. Each of the bearings has a recess, in which the reel can be inserted by means of its lateral bearing pin. The two bearings 16 are rotatably mounted in bearing blocks 18, which are permanently fixed to the frame 14. The bearing is provided in the form of respective pivot pins 20. The two bearings 16 are operated by means of a separate lever 22, one provided for each of the two bearings 16. In view of the fact that the lever is quite long relative to the pivot pin 20 and the end of the lever is at a significantly farther distance away from the pivot pin 20 than the bearing 16, a single operator is easily able to lift even heavy reels by means of the big lever arm of the lever. Starting from the position of the bearings 16 illustrated in FIG. 1, the lever 22 is moved downwards so that the bearing 16 moves upwards accordingly. This type of operation will be necessary when taking a reel of printed material down from the printer, for example.

[0025] Specifically, in the embodiment illustrated here, each of the two levers 22 moves separately from the other. By means of appropriate locking elements 24, which will be explained in more detail below, each of the two levers 22 can be locked when the bearing 16 is in the raised position. The bearing at the one end is raised first, followed by the bearing at the other end so that the reel is lifted off the bearings of the printer one after the other, after which, since the bearings are in the raised position, the reel can be taken down from the printer by means of the loading and unloading device proposed by the invention and moved elsewhere. To this end, the embodiment of the loading and unloading device proposed by the invention illustrated here is provided with a handle 26, by means of which a single operator is able to move the loading and unloading device proposed by the invention. Advantageously, at least two of the castors may be pivotable so that the loading and unloading device proposed by the invention can be turned in all directions and moved along.

[0026] Finally, it should be pointed out that in the embodiment of a loading and unloading device 10 illustrated here, locking mechanisms 28 are also provided for the situation in which the bearings are in the lowered position. In the position illustrated in FIG. 1, the locking devices have not yet been moved out past the locking mechanisms 28, in other words have not yet been pivoted far enough upwards for these locking mechanisms 28 to be checked or locked. Between the two lock positions, in other words the position underneath the locking element 24 and the position above the locking element 28, the two levers are respectively guided in a square tube with an oblong orifice. The locking elements 24, 28 are biassed into the closed position.

[0027] As may be seen from FIG. 2, each of the locking elements advantageously has an oblique surface 30 pointing in the direction of the locked position. As a result, the respective lever 22 can be moved downwards from its raised position illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 into the lowered position, and, as soon as it hits the oblique surface 30 of the locking element 24, it pushes the latter into the opened position and can move past it. Once this has happened, the locking element 24 snaps back and prevents the respective lever from inadvertently being released, in particular as a result of the fact that this side does not have an oblique surface. When the bearing has to be lowered starting from the raised position, the locking element can be shifted sideways at each end one after the other by an operating pin 32 so that the lever is able to move upwards and the bearing is lowered. As a result, a new reel with reeled material can be transferred to a printer. The locking elements of the top locking mechanisms 28 are of a similar design so that after lowering the bearings, the lever can be locked in a defined, upper position.

[0028]FIG. 3 also illustrates how the loading and unloading device 10 proposed by the invention co-operates with the reel bearing 38 of a printer. FIG. 3 shows a reel 34 which has to be transferred onto the reel bearing 38 of a printer. The reel 34 may be introduced into the loading and unloading device proposed by the invention by means of a crane, for example, the hauling means of which can be hung in crane eyes 36. The reel is transported by means of the loading and unloading device proposed by the invention to the position illustrated in FIG. 3 alongside the reel bearing 38 of a printer. The reel 34 is moved into a defined position by means of a stop 40 of the loading and unloading device proposed by the invention, which is brought into abutment with a section of the printer. By means of another stop, which fixes the position of the loading and unloading device proposed by the invention in the travel direction thereof, the position of the reel 34 is defined in this direction.

[0029] Once the requisite position is reached, the reel 34 can be brought into the position illustrated in FIG. 3 by operating the two levers 22 to lower the two bearings 16. In this position, a wheel 42 at the side of the reel 34 is inserted in the reel bearing 38 of the printer and thus located in a defined position. In particular, the position in the lateral direction can be defined due to the fact that the reel bearing 38 of the printer has rollers with a groove, in which the relatively slim side rollers 42 of the material reel 34 are inserted. As mentioned, the two levers 22 may be raised still farther away from the position illustrated in FIG. 3 so that they are retained in an upper position by the upper locking mechanisms 28. This ensures that the respective bearings will remain in the lowered position, even if the natural weight of the lever 22 were to lift the bearing 16 by rotating about the pivot pin 20 once the reel is transferred to the printer, and a printed reel can then be taken down from the printer from this position.

[0030]FIG. 4 illustrates a feature on a printer, which is loaded and unloaded by the loading and unloading device proposed by the invention, this feature advantageously ensuring that an inserted reel is held securely but at the same time does not hamper the loading and unloading operation of the loading and unloading device 10 proposed by the invention. In the region of the printer in which the reel bearing 38 is provided, a safety element 44 is provided, which pivots on the printer about an axis 46. By reference to the axial direction of the reel 34 (in other words the direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing shown in FIG. 4), the safety element 44 is disposed above the side bearing rollers 42 of the material reel 34. This means that the safety element is located above the roller 42 in its operating position so that the latter can not come out of its bearing. From the position illustrated in FIG. 4, the safety element 44 is moved into its operating position by a slight pivoting motion in a clockwise direction.

[0031]FIG. 4 illustrates the position of the safety element 44, in which a portion of the carriage (a bearing block 18 in the example illustrated) has pivoted the safety element 44 by engaging with an operating portion 48 of the safety element 44. The purpose of this pivoting action is to ensure that the operation of loading and unloading the material reel 34 can be performed by the loading and unloading device 10 proposed by the invention unhindered. As the loading and unloading device proposed by the invention is drawn along-side, the bearing block 18 essentially abuts with the operating portion 48 and pivots the safety element 44 slightly to the rear (to the right as illustrated in FIG. 4). When the safety element 44 is in this position, the reel 34 is no longer prevented from coming out of the bearing 38 so that the reel can be removed and a new reel introduced. As soon as a new reel has been transferred to the reel bearing 38 of the printer and the loading and unloading device 10 taken away, the safety element 44 pivots back under its own weight, for example, and a portion of the safety element 44 is located above the side roller 42 of the material reel 34, preventing it from inadvertently falling out. This provides a safe and at the same time simple structure for a loading and unloading device in combination with an adapted printer, by means of which heavy material reels can be loaded and unloaded by a single person. 

1. Loading and unloading device (10) for reeled material, designed in the form of a carriage which can be moved by a single operator and which has a bearing (16) for each of the two ends of a reel (34), it being possible to raise and lower the bearings (16), which can be locked at least in the raised position.
 2. Loading and unloading device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the bearings (16) can be raised and lowered separately from one another.
 3. Loading and unloading device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterised in that each of the bearings (16) is operable by means of a lever (22).
 4. Loading and unloading device as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the bearings (16) can additionally be locked in the lowered position.
 5. Loading and unloading device as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims, characterised in that at least one locking element (24, 28) pre-biassed into the closed position is provided, which has an oblique surface (30) pointing away from the locking position.
 6. Combination of a printer with a loading and unloading device as claimed in at least one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the printer has a safety element (44) in the region of its reel bearings (38), which prevents the reel (34) from falling out and can be moved by the loading and unloading device (10) during the loading and unloading operation so that a reel (34) can be introduced and taken out.
 7. Combination of a printer with a loading and unloading device a claimed in claim 6, characterised in that the safety element (44) is pivotable. 